GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In the world depicted in an alcohol billboard, bikini-clad babes clutch icy bottles, frothy beer flows over frosty mugs and the slogan reads, "Life is good." Ads like these may target adults, but children are getting the message too, a University of Florida and University of Minnesota study shows.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History recently announced the winners of the 2007 Austin Award, given annually by the museum’s University Teaching Committee to recognize excellence in natural science research, and the 2007 Ripley P. Bullen Award, named after an influential Florida Museum archaeologist of the 1940s and 1950s.

By the time they hit high school, an alarming number of teens have already hit the bottle. A third of U.S. ninth graders report they’ve used alcohol before age thirteen. Now, a University of Florida study suggests parents should pay close attention to ads for alcohol kids see near their schools.

By the time they hit high school, an alarming number of teens have already hit the bottle. A third of U.S. ninth graders report they’ve used alcohol before age thirteen. Now, a University of Florida study suggests parents should pay close attention to ads for alcohol kids see near their schools.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Dr. Joseph Adrian Tyndall has been appointed interim chairman of the University of Florida College of Medicine’s department of emergency medicine, effective Aug. 15. He takes over the post vacated by Dr. David C. Seaberg, who last week was named dean of the University of Tennessee’s regional medical campus in Chattanooga.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Umbilical cord blood may safely preserve insulin production in children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, according to findings from a small national pilot study presented today (June 25) at the American Diabetes Association’s 67th Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

The Florida Museum of Natural History presents “In the Footsteps of Ripley and Adelaide Bullen: A Survey of Caribbean Archaeology” from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 29 in Room 122 of Frazier/Rogers Hall on the University of Florida campus. The event, sponsored by the Florida Museum Caribbean Archaeology Program, is free and open to the public.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As housing costs have skyrocketed, the availability of affordable housing has declined. The issue has become critical throughout Florida as communities try to ensure that people of all income levels have access to affordable housing.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Museum of Natural History archaeologists are rehabilitating the world’s largest collection of Calusa Indian artifacts and specimens, thanks to a $284,504 grant recently awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Director Michael Moore has already taken a lot of criticism for unfavorably comparing the U.S. health care system to those of France, Canada and Cuba in his upcoming new documentary, “Sicko.”

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Farmers are told not to count chickens before they hatch, but for citrus growers it’s a little different – knowing how much fruit is on their trees can help them make better decisions about managing and harvesting the crop.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — High school teachers will learn how to use research on new biological threats like citrus canker and West Nile virus to engage science students through a new University of Florida program.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida's housing market, thought to be stabilizing earlier this year, deteriorated in the latest quarterly survey conducted by the University of Florida, a situation likely brought on by uneasiness about lending practices, insurance rates and the state's property tax structure.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Dianna Morgan was named chairman of the University of Florida Board of Trustees on Friday, while trustee W.A. “Mac” McGriff III was named vice chairman. The positions become effective July 1.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A protein long thought to be one of the body’s supporting players has quietly been taking a lead role in healthy eyesight, a discovery that could rapidly lead to treatments for babies born before their eyes are finished growing, University of Florida and Harvard Medical School researchers have found.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Dianna Morgan was named chairman of the University of Florida Board of Trustees on Friday, while trustee W.A. “Mac” McGriff III was named vice chairman. The positions become effective July 1.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Growing old can be disheartening. But for people with diabetes, the aging process can be downright depressing. A University of Florida study published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine reveals that older adults diagnosed with the type 2 form of the disease are twice as likely as their peers to suffer from depression.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Nominations will be accepted through June 20 for the Summer 2007 Outstanding Leadership Award for Male and Female Graduating Seniors, sponsored by the University of Florida Alumni Association. The students selected for these awards will be acknowledged at graduation ceremonies on Aug. 11.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — At 60 feet long, megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived and a dominant marine predator. Sharks are at risk today, with recent population declines attributed to humans. Though megalodon vanished 2 million years ago, its fascinating story inspires lessons for science and shark conservation.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Addictive & Health Behaviors Research Institute, part of the University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance, has received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to continue research on alcohol and fitness interventions for adolescents. NIAAA, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, will fund the research for the next five years.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — AlzOnline.net works to provide caregivers, especially those whose primary language is Spanish, a way to find help and instruction through Internet chat rooms, telephone support and education.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With his set design for “Waiting for Godot,” a University of Florida graduate student in the College of Fine Arts clinched first place in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s scenic design competition in Washington, D.C., April 22.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Addictive & Health Behaviors Research Institute, part of the University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance, has received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to continue research on alcohol and fitness interventions for adolescents.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — At 60 feet long, megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived and a dominant marine predator. Sharks are at risk today, with recent population declines attributed to humans. Though megalodon vanished 2 million years ago, its fascinating story inspires lessons for science and shark conservation.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida's Institute on Aging has received a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. UF is one of 10 centers in the country to receive the prestigious award, which provides $3.9 million over the next five years to fund aging research and career development.

Talcum powder has been used for generations to soothe babies’ diaper rash and other irritations. It could also have another, more medicinal use. University of Florida pulmonologist Veena Antony found it can help fight lung cancer.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Talcum powder has been used for generations to soothe babies’ diaper rash and freshen women’s faces. But University of Florida researchers report the household product has an additional healing power: The ability to stunt cancer growth by cutting the flow of blood to metastatic lung tumors.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Faith-based correctional programs for troubled kids can survive and even thrive without legal challenges if they follow Florida’s lead in keeping participation voluntary and welcoming different religions, a new University of Florida study finds.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The State Department’s Study of the United States Branch recently awarded its first grant for international journalism and media faculty education to the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications.

Bertram Wyatt-Brown, an emeritus professor and Civil War historian, was quoted in a June 10 Boston Globe story about the often provocative nature of academic research done by Drew Gilpin Faust, Harvard’s new president.

Ali Haghighat, chairman of the nuclear and radiological engineering department, was quoted in a June 10 St. Petersburg Times story about the increased demand for graduates to work in the revitalized nuclear power industry.

Stanley Smith, director of the Bureau of Economic and Business Research, was quoted in a June 10 and 11 St. Petersburg Times series on the changing demographics of west-central Florida and the exodus of some residents from Florida to other states.

Criminology Professor Richard Hollinger was quoted in a June 13 Associated Press story about the National Retail Federation report on retail theft. The report was released jointly with the University of Florida, and the story ran on the Reuters wire as well as in numerous newspapers nationwide.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — D. Grant McFadden, program director of the University of Florida College of Medicine’s Emerging Pathogens Initiative, has been elected to Fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology.

University of Florida employees who have unused personal leave days or personal holidays should make plans now to take the time off. Any unused USPS personal holidays and TEAMS/faculty personal leave days not used by July 12 will expire.

Jaret Daniels, a researcher at the University of Florida’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, was quoted in a June 20 Associated Press national wire story about the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History will host ButterflyFest Oct. 13-14 at the University of Florida Cultural Plaza and is now accepting applications for festival vendors and exhibitors.

University of Florida research on the impact of net neutrality was cited in a June 20 Washington Post column about how such a policy could adversely affect Internet services in Asia. The citation was the result of a news release.

Corene Matyas, an assistant professor of geography, was quoted in a June 21 United Press International wire story about her research into new tools to predict inland rainfall caused by hurricanes. The story was the result of a news release.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Public broadcasting stations WUFT-TV, Channel 5, WUFT-DT, Digital 36, WUFT-FM, Classic 89 and WJUF-FM, Nature Coast 90 will present “Fanfares and Fireworks,” the annual Independence Day eve celebration, on Tuesday, July 3 beginning at 7 p.m. at the University of Florida Flavet Field. The 17th annual event is sponsored by the City of Gainesville; AvMed Health Plan and the University of Florida.

The University of Florida was mentioned in a June 26 New York Times story as among the universities participating in the Department of Energy’s creation of three bioenergy research centers to find new ways to turn plants into fuel. The item is available to subscribers or by individual purchase.